Shearing Day!!!

One of the best days of the year for flock and shepherd.

May 06, 2026

Hooray!!!! Shearing day!!!!!

Wool sheep need to be sheared. This is very nearly universally true. Liking it or not liking it does not make it any less true. If they are not sheared annually and in some cases biannually, they will become horribly encumbered, uncomfortable, unable to eat, and eventually die a painful death, but only after some years of avoidable suffering.

Wool is also an incredible resource, annually renewable, biodegradable, versatile, less allergenic than most synthetic fibers, and insulating against both hot and cold in ways that have meant life or death for many human communities. It does not require petroleum to create or process. And we have a deep, generations-long relationship with the incredible animals that produce it. The cultural, emotional, and spiritual significance of this relationship cannot be overstated.

My sheep are on pasture right now. So I built a hog panel enclosure around one of their shade structures. This is not strictly recommended because of the possibility of getting legs caught in holes or getting cuts from cut fence ends. However, needs must come first. I secured everything with a million bajillion lengths of bailing twine and rounded sharp edges.

Then I fed a bit of COB (corn, oats, barley with molasses) daily for three days inside the new pen until on the night before shearing when I went to close them in, they were milling around inside waiting for me.

Milling about. Licking the bucket clean.

Sheep need to be fasted from both feed and water before shearing to reduce the risk of their normal regurgitation being breathed into their lungs while being maneuvered under the shearers.

Here they are, having been locked up for less than 5 minutes and having just eaten their COB but still letting me know they have never been hungrier.

The morning of shearing we laid out a glorious picnic because our wonderful shearer gives a window of arrival rather than an exact time. Like my work as a veterinarian, he tries to keep timing expectations flexible to account for all of the unexpected that could come up.

Currant scones, tinned fish, strong black tea with honey and milk, strawberries, cheese, crackers and a brand new bag of gummy dinosaurs

Jake Valentine of Darkside Shearing setting up https://www.facebook.com/DarksideShearer/

Jake is a 5th generation shearer. He is super fast. The sheep are safe in his hands and the fleeces emerge without seconds. He is really good at his craft and our sheep are lucky to have him.

I was saddened to hear that he has had animal rights activists come to his home several times in recent years, really frightening his wife and young daughter. He had to change his business listing in response. It was a step up in aggression from the internet trolling he has experienced in the past.

Sheep and shepherds are fortunate to have someone who makes shearing safe, quick, and as stress free as possible. Jake is a man who raises sheep himself. He knows what he is doing. The sheep need shearing and we want a steady hand, sharp mind, and the muscle memory of years at his practice.

I hope the folks that clearly consider him and his profession some kind of problem will take a break from internet algorithms and doctored photos and meet some sheep. Meet some shepherds. Make friends, eat snacks, and find out what shearing is actually like.